Flip-Flop Bandit Shuffles Off To Jail

3/27/12-The woman nicknamed the Flip-Flop bandit who allegedly held up a Lebanon, Illinois bank at gunpoint Monday was arrested early Tuesday morning in St. Louis County. She'll face federal bank robbery charges.

LEBANON, Ill. (KMOX) – Good police work and cooperation from the public are being credited for the quick arrest of a suspected bank robber early Tuesday.

Though they aren’t ready to release her name, police say the woman “in her 40’s” was taken into custody in north St. Louis County.

She allegedly held up the First Federal Savings and Loan in Lebanon Illinois Monday afternoon, and was quickly given the nickname “Flip-flop bandit” because of her footwear during the hold-up.

Lebanon police chief Dale R. Warke says the same bank was hit by another robber last last year, and that actually helped them track down the suspect this time around.

“Since the previous robbery in December, First Federal has made improvements with their surveillance cameras,” Warnke told KMOX News. “That allowed our detective to obtain a photograph from the bank surveillance system, and get it out quickly to officers who were canvassing the community.”

Eventually, officers were able to track down family members of the suspect who live in Lebanon, and they cooperated with police.

The suspected get-away car was found around 5:40 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Oliver C. Anderson hospital in Maryville, and a few hours later the woman was tracked down and arrested in north St. Louis County.

Police say she’ll face charges for allegedly walking into First Federal Monday and producing a handgun and note demanding money.

Warnke says a weapon was recovered at the time of the suspect’s arrest.